Ko Jum

Accommodation

Budget accommodation is found all over Ko Jum, with only a handful of mid- to upper-range options available. We felt that the best backpacker scene was found at isolated Lubo Beach to the far north, followed by Southern Andaman Beach in the far south. Northern Andaman Beach and Golden Pearl Beach blend together to offer a good range of options, including a few places that are geared to families. Ao Si and Ao Ting Rai will both do the trick for those who prefer smaller beaches. On the north coast, Banyan Bay’s lone midrange place to stay is a comfy and secluded option.

Lubo Beach

Reachable only by sea or a long and bumpy road that winds around Mt Pu, Lubo Beach has an ultra-relaxed atmosphere that’s rivalled only by Ko Jum’s far southern beach. If you’re looking to get away from it all and are fine with basic accommodation, this is a great choice.

Luboa has a mix of wood and bamboo bungalows set far apart from one another on a hillside with several banyan trees. One of the bungalows is literally placed smack on a banyan’s distinctively snaking roots. They were all full during our visit (a testament to the place’s quality and friendless), but we were told that they come with mosquito nets, fans and simple cold-water bathrooms, with some of... Read our full review of Luboa Hut.

Set at the far southern end of the beach, Peace Paradise is another very friendly spot offering simple fan-cooled, cold-water bamboo bungalows with a laid-back atmosphere. The thatch-roof, woven-bamboo huts are each a little different from the next, some with an A-frame design and others more spacious with wide windows and wider porches. Rooms stand on stilts up in the forest and enjoy direct sea... Read our full review of Peace Paradise.

In an idyllic setting where North Beach juts out slightly into the sea, the only thing that’s not creative about Sunset Beach is the name. Perched right over the sand, a recently refurbished swinging bungalow is literally roped to the coconut trees, while a treehouse bungalow is perched fairly high off the sand. Both of these have mattresses on the floor and rely on a little brick block of... Read our full review of Sunset Beach Bungalows.

Spread over a steep hillside with paths winding past the banyan trees en route to the beach, this is Ko Jum’s most isolated resort. With high vaulted ceilings, amber stain-glass windows, soft beds with high-quality linens, massive porches and hot-water bathrooms with rainfall showers, the fan-cooled villas are stunning. In fact, they’re very similar to those found down at Koh Jum Lodge on Golden... Read our full review of Banyan Bay Villa Koh Pu.

Ao Ting Rai

Though it’s not too far from the traveller services in Baan Ting Rai, the same-named beach has an isolated feel thanks to the somewhat treacherous dirt road that links it to the village. Don’t forget that mosquito repellent.

The Old Lamp gets the award for the best name on Ko Jum, but it’s also a darn good place to stay for those who enjoy an intimate and secluded vibe. Owner Mr Chai treats his guests like old friends, striking an ideal balance between laid-back and attentive. Though lacking any of the bells and whistles found at the two much bigger resorts on Ao Ting Rai, Old Lamp’s 12 wooden bungalows are very... Read our full review of Old Lamp Bungalows.

One of a small group of places on Ko Jum that could be considered proper resorts, Koh Jum Resort has several bamboo and teakwood villas perched on stilts over the southern end of Ting Rai beach. Along with great porches that seem to hover over the sea, the cheapest rooms have high ceilings, soft lighting, several swing-open windows that open to the sea breeze and natural touches like polished... Read our full review of Koh Jum Resort.

The popular and friendly Jungle Hill has more of a professional feel than most of Ko Jum’s budget spots. The free WiFi works well, the kitchen is always stocked, tours, motorbikes and onward transport can be booked at the drop of a hat, and someone is always waiting to serve customers in the reception/restaurant area. The mini resort has a small number of tin-roof wooden bungalows perched on... Read our full review of Jungle Hill Beach Bungalows.

After arriving to find Jungle Hill full, we ended up staying at Sun Smile and had a fine experience. The family-run spot lacks the WiFi and service-minded staff of its more popular neighbour, but makes up for it with a location slap bang on the centre of Ao Si beach. The sky-blue concrete bungalows are naked as one guest put it, with fluorescent lights, fairly comfortable beds, mosquito nets,... Read our full review of Sun Smile Bungalows.

Golden Pearl Beach

Centrally located Golden Pearl Beach is named after amber-hued rocks that collect under the beach pines. There’s no break between Golden Pearl and Andaman beaches, making very long walks on the sand possible from here.

Smart, sophisticated, classy and romantic are all words that could be used to describe this small upscale resort. Like neighbouring Koh Jum Beach Villas, Koh Jum Lodge has been careful to preserve the existing trees while doing minimal damage to the environment. Set just back from the beach under the shade of numerous trees, the gorgeous fan-cooled stilted villas are set well apart from the next.... Read our full review of Koh Jum Lodge.

This centrally located resort is a good choice for those seeking a budget room with more of a complete package than you’ll find at most of Jum’s bungalow joints. The resort offers a large seaside restaurant with billiards table, convenience store, souvenir shop, internet facilities, currency exchange, motorbike rental, free WiFi and a friendly staff ready to greet guests at reception. Apart from... Read our full review of Golden Pearl Beach Resort.

After being levelled by the 2004 tsunami, the long-running Season Bungalows has fully rebuilt its spacious concrete bungalows set around a lawn just back from the beach. With high ceilings and large front porches, the spacious and spotless rooms come with tile floors, comfortable beds and several screened windows. The cheapest fan rooms are a two-minute stroll from the sand, while fan and air-con... Read our full review of Season Bungalows.

Boss Bungalow has a handful of simple concrete bungalows clustered around a laid-back restaurant/lounge area. Nestled amid a cluster of cashew trees, Boss is reached from the beach via a sandy path that’s no more than 50 metres long. It feels like a hidden clubhouse that not everyone is supposed to know about. We found the staff to be very friendly and the atmosphere quiet and laid back.... Read our full review of Boss Bungalow.

This very popular and charming bungalow resort is set in a quiet spot that’s a fair distance south of the nearest neighbours and a long walk north of the southern Andaman Beach resorts. Offering more style than your average beach hut, the rooms are set well apart from one another in a shady area with no shortage of flowers and birdsong. Constructed from a mix of wood, bamboo and concrete, the... Read our full review of Woodland Lodge.

This rather dilapidated bungalow joint is Ko Jum’s most hippie-ish place to stay; look no further if you’re into dreadlocks, guitars and the simple life. The whole place has an eclectic, thrown-together feel, with bits of curio lying beneath the beach pines and plenty of seashell and driftwood art. While the yellow woven bamboo huts have seen better days, they come with hammocks on the front... Read our full review of Bo Daeng.

Similar to Golden Buddha Resort on Ko Phra Thong and Railay Beach Club in Railay, Koh Jum Beach Villas is a community of private home owners who rent out their beautiful beach houses for much of the year. With a small swimming pool, restaurant, classy lounge and very professional staff, the resort spans an area of 700 square metres. The dark-wood, thatch-roof houses are set well apart from one... Read our full review of Koh Jum Beach Villas.

Southern Andaman Beach

The far south of Ko Jum’s west coast has an ultra-laid-back atmosphere that can only be matched by Lubo Beach at the opposite end of the island. It was Ko Jum’s first area to see bungalows rented out to travellers, with a couple of the originals still open for business. Most of the resorts here shut down during the rainy season.

The first place on Ko Jum to open to foreign travellers back in 1990, Joy began with a handful of basic bamboo bungalows on the edge of the forest. After the ’04 tsunami knocked down several of them, the resort underwent a face lift that added a number of smart wooden cottages built atop sturdy concrete stilted foundations. The owner put a lot of thought into the new design, constructing a range... Read our full review of Joy Bungalows.

This funky bungalow joint with a lively bar is set at the far southern end of Andaman Beach. Here the coastline curves east at a cluster of rocks, creating the sense that you’re on a sandy peninsula. Some made of wood, others bamboo and still others almost completely of thatch, the bungalows are spread out in all directions over a wide area. Most are quite spacious and come with partially... Read our full review of Freedom Hut .

This friendly family-run bungalow spot was named New because it was the newer of Ko Jum’s two places to stay when it opened way back in 1993. It has aged gracefully and remains a very friendly spot to forget the world for a while. The cheapest thatch-roof woven bamboo huts are a solid 200-metre walk back from the beach; they’re fairly run down with holes in the mosquito nets and squat toilets in... Read our full review of New Bungalows.